Socialist International Women is the international organisation of the women's organisations of the socialist, social democratic and labour parties affiliated to the Socialist International.
There are currently 139 organisations from all parts of the world.

The Quota System

Member parties that have introduced a quota system for women (As of November 2012)

ALBANIA

SPA 30%

ANGOLA

MPLA 30%

ARGENTINA

PS 30%
UCR 30%

ARMENIA

ARF 25% for
candidates' lists

AUSTRIA

SPÖ 40%
for both genders

BELGIUM

PS 20%
SPA 25%

BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA

SDP BiH 30%

BRAZIL

PDT 30% for party structures only

BULGARIA

PBSD 30% for party structures only

CAMEROON

SDF 25% for party structures only

CANADA

NDP/NPD 50%

CHILE

PRSD 20% for party structures only
PPD 40%
PS 30%

COLOMBIA

PLC 30% for party structures only

COSTA RICA

PLN 40%

CROATIA

SDP 40% for both genders

CURAÇAO

MAN 30% for candidates' lists

CYPRUS

Movement of Social Democrats EDEK 25%

CZECH REPUBLIC

CSSD 25% for party structures only

DENMARK

SDP 40% for
both genders

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

PRD 33%

FINLAND

SDP 40% for both genders and for party structures

FRANCE

PS 50%

GERMANY

SPD 40% for both genders

GREECE

PASOK 40% for both genders and for party structures

GUATEMALA

UNE 40%

HAITI

SDU 25%

HUNGARY

MSzP 20%

IRELAND

The Labour Party 25%

ISRAEL

Israel Labour Party 40% for party structures only
Meretz Party 40% for party structures and for both genders

ITALY

PSI 66% maximum for both genders and for party structures

LITHUANIA

LSDP 30%

MALI

ADEMA-PASJ 30%
RPM 30%

MEXICO

PRD 50% for both genders
PRI 50%

MONGOLIA

MPP 30% for candidates, 25% for party structures

MONTENEGRO

SDP 30%

MOROCCO

USFP 20%

MOZAMBIQUE

Frelimo Party 35%

NICARAGUA

FSLN 30% minimum

NORWAY

DNA 40% for both genders

PORTUGAL

PS 33% for both genders

ROMANIA

PSD 25%

SENEGAL

PS 25%

SLOVAKIA

SMER 20%

SOUTH AFRICA

ANC 30%

SPAIN

PSOE 40% for both genders.

SWEDEN

SAP 50% for all candidates' list

SWITZERLAND

SP/PS 50%

TURKEY

CHP 33% for both genders
BDP 40%

UKRAINE

SDPU 33%

URUGUAY

PSU 36% minimum

USA

DSA 50% for internal structures only

VENEZUELA

AD 30%
MAS 30%

YEMEN

YSP 30%

The Quota for Women in Legislation

In Argentina an amendment to the electoral law was passed in November 1991. It stipulates that candidates' lists must include a minimum of 30 per cent women candidates for the posts up for election in proportions which offer the possibility of being elected. Lists which do not comply with these requirements will not be made official.

In Belgium legislation was passed in May 1994, stipulating a quota of one in four places on parliamentary candidates' lists from 1 January 1996 to 1 January 1999, to be increased thereafter to one in three. Sanctions consist of limiting the number of candidates: for example, where the one in four rule applies, of 25 candidates, 6 must be women. If there are only 4 women on the list, 2 places remain empty.

In France the laws have been enriched by measures favorable to the participation of women in political life. Urged on by public opinion convinced by the progress achieved by the Socialist Party since 1997, Deputies first modified the Constitution, then adopted measures for future elections. On 28 June 1999, the Congress (Deputies and Senators) approved modification of article 3 of the Constitution which now reads thus: "The law favours the equal access of women and men to electoral mandates and elected offices". This modification has opened the door to the implementation of laws for different elections. It was thus that in December 1999, a draft law was submitted regarding on the one hand, elections based on a list system and on the other, elections for a single member. Regarding the former, lists of candidates must henceforth be composed of equal numbers of women and men. The verification of such parity occurs every 6 candidates and continues until the end of the list. Lists which do not conform to this criterion are not registered and cannot participate in the elections. The law has come into effect at the municipal elections of 2001 except for those communes with fewer than 3,500 inhabitants, which have a special electoral system. Single member elections do not allow gender parity of candidates to be imposed: the law has created a special measure which penalises financially those parties or political groupings which do not respect a balance between women and men. Thus public funds given by the State will be reduced from the moment the gap between the candidates of each sex goes beyond 2% of the total number of candidates. For example, a party which presents 49% women and 51% men will not be penalised. Despite the fierce opposition of the right, these measures in their entirity were voted in at their last reading in May 2000; they represent a fundamental step forward in the modernisation of French democracy.

In Mexico federal electoral law stipulates that political parties must promote a greater participation of women in the political life of the country. With this in mind, federal laws require political parties to include this principle in its constitutive documents. Federal electoral law has also introduced the rule that all nominations for members of the Lower or Upper Chamber that are registered with the Federal Electoral Institute cannot exceed 70 per cent of either gender.

08 March 2015

The Socialist International Women (SIW) strongly supports International Women’s Day (IWD) and the essential core principles it represents of upholding women’s rights, promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls...

24 January 2015

Shaimaa el Sabbagh was shot dead on 24 January 2015 allegedly by the Egyptian Police as she was on her way to lay flowers at the memorial of those killed during the Egyptian uprising on 25 January 2011, in Talat Harb Square, Cairo....

Geneva, Switzerland, 15 and 16 December 2014

25 November 2014

On the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, I would like to invite you to join the Socialist International Women (SIW) and take action to end violence against women...

11 - 18 October 2014

The Socialist International Women joins forces with other women’s organisations around the world in calling on the Government of Nigeria to renew efforts for the immediate rescue of the abducted schoolgirls...